Motorist who tried to kill himself on M60 spared jail

A DESPERATE businessman who feared his company was going bust tried to kill himself - by driving the WRONG WAY down a busy motorway. Travel agent Anwar Ul Haque went on a `crazy' driving spree, doing two U-turns and speeding the wrong way down the M60 near Stockport. Dozens of motorists had to swerve to avoid him.

A DESPERATE businessman who feared his company was going bust tried to kill himself - by driving the WRONG WAY down a busy motorway.

Travel agent Anwar Ul Haque went on a `crazy' driving spree, doing two U-turns and speeding the wrong way down the M60 near Stockport. Dozens of motorists had to swerve to avoid him.

Ul Haque accelerated then suddenly braked in front of a truck before doing a U-turn and driving back along the motorway in the wrong direction. He smashed into a BMW then careered across all three lanes before crashing into a Transit van.

Luckily only one person was slightly hurt. But, Manchester crown court heard, it was a miracle that no one was killed. Ul Haque wrote off his own car and badly damaged the other vehicles.

The court heard that Ul Haque, 63, of Sunnyfield Road, Heaton Mersey, Stockport, went on the motorway rampage last May.

He made the `sudden and impulsive' decision to end his own life after becoming depressed at the thought of losing the Ashton under Lyne travel agency he had built up over more than 20 years.

Giving him a nine-month jail sentence suspended for two years, Judge Jonathan Geake told him: "It was a crazy piece of driving and it was obviously committed by a man whose mind was in turmoil. It is miraculous that, though twice making U-turns on the motorway, you didn't seriously hurt or kill someone."

Christopher Diamond, defending, said Ul Haque was a `pillar' of the local Muslim community but had been under acute financial pressure at the time.

He had been due to make a substantial payment to a travel association but on the day of the incident he received a solicitor's letter threatening legal action for non-payment.

Mr Diamond said: "He had tried everything to save his business, but all he could see on that day was the end of something that he had started more than 20 years earlier.

"He had not confided in his family, who had no idea of the turmoil he was in."

The court heard how Ul Haque was later diagnosed with acute stress reaction and diabetes. He had expressed genuine shame and regret at what had happened and wished to apologise to everyone involved in the incident.

Mr Diamond said that although Ul Haque was still suffering from moderate depression he had managed to save his business by re-mortgaging his home.

Ul Haque pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, and was banned from driving for 12 months. He was also ordered to serve 150 hours' unpaid work within the community.